The Weight Of Things
by Funky In Fishnet
Summary: Riley isn't going to say anything about how he feels about Chase; he doesn't want to upset the team's dynamic. He's used to carrying the weight of things he doesn't talk about, only this time he actually starts struggling. Being a Ranger means a team who knows you and new paths that need courage and a hand to hold.


_**Disclaimer:** I own nothing._

* * *

 **THE WEIGHT OF THINGS**

It wasn't a problem; Riley was making sure of that. It was just something that he carried around with him, like the fact he missed his family, the ranch and Rubik his dog, like how he sometimes itched to tell the team his organized logical plan for every situation they came across. It wasn't a big thing, it was just there and he accounted for its weight every day when he got up in the morning.

He liked Chase, that was fine. Riley was going to be sensible and logical about this; when he wasn't skateboarding, Chase spent most of his spare time flirting with the many girls that caught his eye. So Riley wasn't going to make things weird, he and Chase had recently managed to reach a new kind of understanding and Riley wasn't going to disrupt that. He didn't want to affect their roles as Power Rangers.

So he kept quiet, spent time with Chase, trained with him, ate meals with him, saved the world with him, and didn't say a word. It was a familiar weight; Riley could handle it.

His brother texted him regularly, _You haven't told him, have you?_

Riley sighed, Matt hadn't always understood Riley's love of swordplay and academic learning but there was some stuff he'd gotten painfully quickly. It'd been really useful a few years back when Riley had come out. His Mom had hugged him and told him she was glad he'd told her. Matt had given him a very unshocked look and had told him to feed the pigs, but they'd ridden horses together that night, looking out over their family's land and Riley had been really glad then for his family. He still was.

Some of the ranchhands hadn't been as understanding. Riley's Mom had told them they could leave if they didn't show basic human decency and tolerance. Riley had felt guilty when a few had chosen to leave but his Mom had pointed out that the family always got a lot of takers whenever they advertised for help.

How the hell had Matt worked this out though? Riley had only talked to him a handful of times since arriving in Amber Beach and he definitely hadn't talked about Chase that much. He'd made sure of that, wait, was that how Matt knew? Riley stared down at his phone and texted back.

 _No._

 _Facebook, Riley._

Riley bit back another sigh and ran a hand over his face. Right. He and the others all posted pictures on Facebook, just of their jobs at the Museum of course. And they tagged each other. Riley hadn't posted a lot but apparently Matt had seen something, assuming he was talking about Chase and not Koda or Tyler.

 _Wait, who're we talking about?_

There was a pause, then Matt send him a link to a photo of Chase and his skateboard leaping over a seated and startled Shelby. Okay. Matt was right, again. How? Riley really wanted to know his secret.

 _The pigs miss you._

Riley smiled slightly. He missed home, most definitely at times like these. There was a whistle and Chase walked into view, pushing a crowded cart, his headphones on, apparently oblivious to everything and everyone around him. Riley knew better now though. Still his smile grew a little as he watched Chase.

Chase was tall but moved surprisingly gracefully. He wore a ready smile, which broadened when a girl with red hair caught his attention. He consistently caught Riley's attention; even back when all Riley had wanted to do was shout at him. Riley found it increasingly difficult to stop thinking about him, it was an increase in weight but he could handle it. Now he dipped his head and focused on his phone. It was ridiculous though to keep thinking about something that wasn't ever going to happen.

So. Riley tucked his phone away and got up, deliberately looking away from where Chase was now chatting to a couple of girls. There was more training Riley could do and some books he wanted to read. There was no point torturing himself. The team deserved better too. This wasn't going to become a problem, Riley was sure of that.

* * *

Shelby and Tyler were moving towards each other slowly. It wasn't unexpected and didn't seem to affect their Ranger duties that much. Riley watched them link hands and head for the café, comfortable with each other and pretty much content in a way that sat well on them. Riley was jealous of that; he hadn't always felt comfortable in himself, thanks to how people had treated him.

It was good for Shelby and Tyler though; Shelby smiled more and argued less with Miss Morgan. Tyler's expression shone, especially around Shelby. Koda looked pleased about it and Chase teased them both. Miss Morgan didn't seem to mind, as long as their relationship didn't affect how they performed as Power Rangers. Neither Tyler nor Shelby seemed to be carrying any extra weight.

Shelby started to cast speculative glances Riley's way though, especially when they worked café shifts together. She flipped a couple of burgers; she was getting pretty good at it. Riley preferred taking people's orders and working the cash register to having to deal with food prep. Chase was currently serving people, flashing smirks at the girls that kept smiling at him. Riley kept an eye on him, just now and then.

Shelby nudged Riley and gave him an uncomfortably-knowing and encouraging look. Riley shook his head – no, he was not going to talk about this. Shelby frowned and nudged him harder, insistently. Riley's jaw tensed; this felt like extra-heavy weight – people's expectations. Shelby and Tyler had found a good balance together but that didn't mean Chase would suddenly change who he was.

Before Shelby could say anything, Riley swiftly walked away, claiming there was a store cupboard audit that he needed to do. His heart thundered fast; he was pretty sure Chase had looked over at some point during Riley and Shelby's silent conversation. Shelby wouldn't say anything but she might drop hints.

Riley stood in one of the walk-in stores and took a deep breath. He was fine; he just didn't need people pushing him. His way was best. He could handle the ache of seeing Chase always flirting with girls and never being interested in any kind of serious relationship. He could handle Chase looking at him but not really seeing him. This was fine, Riley could carry it.

He texted his brother, _I miss the pigs._

"D'you get lost back here?"

Chase's voice startled Riley so much that he almost dropped his phone. Chase had his café cap on backwards and a pencil tucked behind one ear, his smile was friendly and easy though his eyes showed a hint of concern. Riley didn't read anything into that. He pasted on a tight smile.

"Just needed some fresh air."

"...In the stores?"

Riley's shoulders slumped and he pushed past Chase, refusing to savor the brief impersonal contact between them. He had work to do, it wasn't fair to leave Shelby dealing with everything. That wasn't what a good team member did.

"Yes, in the stores." He waved off whatever Chase had started to say. "I'm fine, Chase. Don't worry."

Riley headed back into the cafe and didn't look back. Shelby peered at him curiously but didn't say anything, squeezing his arm silently instead. It was what any good team member would do. Riley straightened his shoulders and felt the weight resettle around him. He was fine.

* * *

"Riley."

The Keeper wanted to talk to him. Riley sat down in the chair that the Keeper had indicated, wondering what this was about. The Keeper rarely took time to speak to them individually unless it was important, he was always focused on the Energems. The Keeper sat down next to Riley and looked at him for a moment before speaking,

"You carry a lot for one so young, Riley."

Riley shrugged a little, "I'm a Power Ranger, isn't that what they do?"

While he was too young to remember when the Space Rangers had saved the Earth or when Terra Venture had finally managed to send a message back to Earth, Riley had done his research and could still vividly recall seeing the Dino Rangers on the news and hearing more recently about the Samurai Rangers. Some Rangers' identities were still protected but there'd always been stories about them, true or not, and some Rangers had given interviews.

The Keeper nodded, "But you can lean on each other. That is the purpose of such a team; to ensure that no one carries more than they should."

"I'm not carrying too much, Keeper, really. I know what I'm doing."

The Keeper looked at him again and then reached out and gently touched Riley's chest. "Some things you are not meant to carry alone, some things are meant to be shared."

There was a soft laugh and Riley glanced over to see Shelby leaning over Tyler's shoulder to look at something on his phone, probably more dinosaur photos. They looked effortlessly happy together. Chase was sat a little way back from them, explaining something to Koda, his gestures expansive. Something twinged inside Riley's chest. He shook his head.

"Some things just cause problems," he told the Keeper softly. "It's not worth the trouble."

He got up, the Keeper speaking just as quietly in response, "Remember, people aren't always what they appear to be, Riley. It was a lesson you learned once before."

When Cavity had struck and Riley and Chase had argued about the different ways they chose to approach...everything. Chase had turned out not to be as thoughtless and flaky as Riley had assumed. It'd been the start of so much. But the Keeper was wrong, Riley saying anything about this would only make Chase uncomfortable and ruin the team's dynamic. Riley was sure of that.

"But there're other lessons, Keeper, and this one, I already know."

* * *

 _Why does everyone think they know what's best for me?_

 _Trick question. I always know what's best for you, brother._

 _I can't feed the pigs from here._

 _You can muck them out when you next visit._

 _Thanks._

 _Don't mention it. And don't let anyone push you into doing something you don't want to do, unless it's me, because I know what I'm talking about._

 _Yeah. Okay. Give my love to Mom._

 _Call her yourself. Also you deserve better than someone who hasn't properly noticed you yet._

 _Stop stalking me and my friends on Facebook._

 _Stop pretending you don't care._

* * *

Riley got up early most days. When he was done working out – going for a run and doing some cardio exercises – he liked to practice with his Dino Saber. He didn't just settle for working with the tennis ball machine anymore though. When the base was quiet, Riley liked to center himself and work through some katas. He'd gone to a few classes since moving away from the ranch and he'd practiced privately using YouTube tutorials. It was something he'd hit on after the whole Cavity thing. Chase had been right – Riley couldn't just work on one move, there were a lot of different sword maneuvers out there he could try out and see which ones suited him.

Now, he closed his eyes and moved through a series of movements slowly, counting out his breathing, his earbuds in so that he could listen to the step-by-step guidance that he'd found and liked online. He'd found it very helpful and it really did clear his mind when he needed it most.

Here, he could just let things go and get himself ready for the day. He would be steady and alert, he would listen and be a great Power Ranger and museum employee, he would...he would open his eyes and spot Chase standing back by the doorway, an astonished look on his face.

Riley's heartbeat sped by. He stopped and yanked his earbuds out, turning off his iPod. Chase was still staring at him. Riley tried not to stare back, busying himself with putting away his Dino Saber. Chase was still there when Riley turned back around. Great.

"What?" he asked abruptly.

Chase shook his head quickly like he was clearing it and blinked several times. "Nothing, nothing, I...I just didn't know you could do that."

His gaze lingered on Riley's face, then dropped to inspect Riley's sweaty vest that was sticking to his skin. Riley really needed a shower, a great escape excuse.

"Well, now you know and I need a shower. So, I'll see you at breakfast?"

He didn't wait around for an answer. The team liked to have breakfast together most days, it'd become a good team bonding time. Also, it stopped Koda trying to explore the kitchen's equipment by himself – he still hadn't gotten the hang of the blender yet. Riley beat a hasty retreat to the staff showers and was extremely relieved when he found them empty.

He stood under the shower spray for a while, trying to relax his mind again. He couldn't let this overwhelm him; he didn't want any more weight. Chase had looked at him admiringly but that was it, it was just admiration. That was all it ever could be. That was fine. It was.

Riley closed his eyes and tipped his head back under the water. He missed being able to practice in the ranch's barn, hardly anyone interrupting him. Riley thought, as he had done in brief more than once recently, that maybe he should leave the team. Someone else could bond to his gem, someone who wouldn't endanger the team's good working relationship. It was completely logical, even though it hurt to think about.

Riley turned the shower off, wrapped himself up in a towel and headed back into the changing room. He'd just gotten dressed when the door banged open and Chase marched in, looking surprisingly serious. Riley kept his expression unbothered, it took some effort.

"There's something up, Riley, and don't say you're fine because I know you're not."

Okay. Riley shook his head. "I can deal with it, Chase. I don't need your help."

"Haven't you learned anything? We're a team; we help each other, that's pretty much the whole point."

True. Riley stared a little because Chase was, okay, yes, he was very attractive and Riley liked looking at him. Everything else that went on under Riley's skin was still being carefully contained. The time was definitely not right for things like that to change, no way. Riley doubted the time would ever be right.

"Look, this is-."

"No."

Chase stepped closer; Riley forced himself not to react but Chase's eyes narrowed, like he'd noticed something.

"I know you're just going to fob me off but please, tell me what's going on."

"Shelby knows, and she knows I'm okay too."

"Shelby won't tell me; she just said that it was up to you to tell me. The Keeper said the same thing."

That was...kind of them, though did pile the pressure on Riley now. He looked away from Chase, Chase immediately touched Riley's shoulder, then his chin, directing his gaze back towards Chase. Riley swallowed, his pupils were probably dilating as well. Chase was really close to him now.

Chase was also looking at him in that way again, like he'd noticed something. Riley held his breath; Chase was touching him in a way that didn't feel impersonal at all. Riley should walk away, he really should, but he couldn't. It felt amazing and maybe the memory of that touch would sustain him, once he'd thought up a really good excuse to leave.

"Riley."

Chase sounded fond now and he was smiling and leaning down like...no. Riley pushed out of his grip now. He was not going to be humiliated, no way. Chase looked surprised and disappointed?

"I know you-."

" _I_ know you're not interested, Chase, okay? So please, don't pity me," Riley practically spat as he turned to grab his stuff so that he could go and have breakfast.

Miss Morgan might not accept his resignation but this was the only way. This was too much weight. Chase grabbed his arm, looking alarmed.

"Woah, hey, pity? Riley, I don't know what you're thinking but I don't kiss people I'm not interested in and I never kiss anyone out of pity."

He looked and sounded sincere enough but Riley still treated him to a look that could have melted steel.

"You flirt with practically every girl you meet, Chase; I think I'd have noticed if you'd started flirted with guys."

Chase raised his eyebrows and didn't let go of Riley's arm. "So I'm not afraid to let a girl know I like her, true, but not every guy likes being hit on, Riley. I learned my lesson there already enough times, all right? I'm a lot more careful now."

Riley eyed him carefully; still not believing when he was hearing, "So you're bisexual?"

"I don't limit my options and I don't like labels but that's close enough, I guess, yeah."

Chase spoke without any hint of embarrassment and he was starting to stroke Riley's arm. His intentions were silent but resilient. Riley stared at him openly, his heartbeat fast again but now for an entirely different reason. Was this actually happening? He could feel weight beginning to shift.

"You like me."

Chase smiled; it wasn't a smirk at all. Instead it was amused but really warm around the edges and he was looking at Riley like...wow, okay. Riley licked his dry lips; Chase looked very interested. Riley turned away suddenly because he'd seen that look before and it hadn't been directed at him. The weight shifted again.

"Riley?"

"That's not enough, Chase," Riley glanced at him and then away again. "Doing anything casually, especially this, it's not me."

"Yeah, I figured."

Chase touched Riley's chin again, getting his attention, forcing him to look at Chase again. Chase's expression was surprisingly serious, Riley's eyebrows dipped in confusion.

Chase continued, "So I'd like to try something different, something not casual."

Riley stared at him uncomprehendingly. Chase wanted to try something serious, a non-casual relationship. Chase squeezed his arm gently and looked like he was waiting for an answer, a hint of nerves showing under his usual easygoing confidence. That meant something.

"Really. You want to be serious, with me."

Chase stroked a thumb across Riley's cheek, setting off heat under Riley's skin, "Well, not _too_ serious, but yeah, I've thought about it and honestly, I can't stop thinking about you and then seeing you work out like that...so here I am, adapting to the new situation, right?"

Riley smiled faintly. Chase didn't look like he was joking and he was still touching Riley. Riley raised a hand and laid it against Chase's shoulder. The weight was shifting all over again.

"This can't affect us as Rangers," Riley warned, dragging up his deepest fears. "What we're doing here is too important."

"It is," agreed Chase, like he was talking about a lot of different things. "And Tyler and Shelby are more than okay, as Rangers and civilians. You won't know until you try, Riley."

That was what Chase was doing, trying something new, a different path. He was doing it for Riley. Riley let out a breath, feeling a little winded as he really let that sink in. He canted closer to Chase and tipped up his chin as Chase leaned down again and their mouths met. It wasn't an explosion of heat or feelings but it felt _good_ , strong. Riley leaned closer for more, his arms finding their way around Chase. Chase let out a pleased greedy sound and obligingly wrapped his arms around Riley. They stayed locked together for a while, exploring each other's mouths, steadiness tipping over into something hotter, their movements against each other becoming a little ragged until Riley pulled back, needing to breathe and think.

Chase looked and sounded disappointed but he didn't look like he was regretting anything nor did he try pushing. Good. Riley needed a minute. Everything had suddenly changed and he needed to catch up.

Chase kept hold of him. After a moment, Riley tried leaning against him, letting Chase take his weight. Chase didn't struggle; he curled his arms around Riley and kissed the top of his head. He didn't ask questions for a while either. That was something new too, Chase not filling a silence with music and talk. That meant something too.

Tyler and Shelby were fine, yeah. Maybe Chase and Riley could be too; maybe it could feel this good, maybe Riley could adapt again. Maybe he wanted to.

"Okay," he said eventually, half to himself.

Chase shifted a little, "Okay?"

He sounded cautious but hopeful and kind of excited. Riley pushed back a little so that he could look Chase fully in the eye while still keeping hold of him. It was addictive already, touching Chase in a way that he hadn't done before, with intent, with feelings that he'd always kept carefully locked away. From Chase's expression, he felt something similar too.

Riley felt like he was gathering new weight, weight that he wasn't actually carrying alone.

"Let's try this, slowly, hotshot."

Chase grinned and leaned down to kiss Riley incorrigibly. Riley couldn't help smiling back, feeling a little like he did in his Ranger suit. It was a good weight, addictive, like Chase's touch. Of course it was, of course it was.

* * *

In the cafe, Riley read a text message from Matt, _I'm always right._

Matt had been looking at Facebook again. Riley didn't think he or Chase looked any different in the latest photos that'd been posted but apparently Matt thought otherwise and still understood some things in a way Riley that couldn't.

Riley shook his head; Chase wasn't the only one who was incorrigible. And the Keeper now frequently gave the impression that he was silently projecting an aura of 'I told you so', only that wouldn't be very Keeper of him. Riley still got the feeling that that was what the Keeper was thinking though, it was kind of weird.

Shelby nudged him, nodding her head towards where Chase was serving a couple of tables of customers, smiling and chatting but not lingering with anyone in particular, even though several girls were smiling invitingly at him. Riley lowered his eyes and smiled privately; so far, their lives as Rangers hadn't been badly affected. And Chase had decided that he should observe Riley working on his morning katas every chance he got. Riley was never going to be a great skateboarder but he could now see the appeal. He could still beat Chase in a foot race and had learned more about what Moana stocked in her shop, he found that he enjoyed visiting her, there was always more to learn there. He and Chase talked a lot more than they used to, Chase kept threatening to become Facebook friends with Matt. It wasn't a completely horrifying thought.

Riley felt Chase's gaze on him, Chase's smirk that meant something else now especially when paired with the warm wanting look in his eyes and how Riley could lean against him. It still felt as though the new weight was constantly shifting and being shared between them, hand in hand and fist by fist. Like a team. Riley nudged Shelby back.

 _-the end_


End file.
